Home Forums Hunting & Shooting AR and Tactical Rifles Best AR from a box…

If you didn’t want to build an AR from scratch. Which AR manufacturers would you gladly buy from?

Criteria for purchase can be.

1) Range fun and home defense.

2) Hunting, whatever that looks like to you ~ example: LR varmint hunting, pig kill’n, or medium sized game hunting.

I’m curious, from those of you who love AR platforms, who makes quality stuff?

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I have plenty of ARs but I assembled most of them; the only two factory jobs I have are a Colt and a Bushmaster. Both have been flawless.

Daniel Defense

I’ve never seen much difference. I own or have owned several PSA, Aero, Colt, Spikes, FN, DD, Bravo, Bushmasters, and a few others. Some of the really cheap stuff has a noticeably poorer finish.

AR’s have been made for so many years and in such numbers in addition to having military’s, and hard use civilians as proving grounds for what works. That at this point they’re pretty well figured out.

For home defense with a clean rifle or as a range toy almost any AR will work IMO especially if it has a decent bolt. Dido for shooting pigs. Those are completely different purposes than extended firefights with dirty guns being run hard in a 120 degree desert or jungle environment.

Long range precision shooting and possibly high volume fire for varmints I can see requiring more specialized equipment.

The very best moneys no objet. Knights Armament has a pretty stellar reputation for fighting guns.

Pure box buy - Colt 6920.

It’s going to cover 90% plus of anything I need, and not break the bank.

Add a varmint upper, and it’s dual purpose - but what’s the fun in that?

I’m most likely building if it’s a purpose built objective upper.

That said - I could buy a Rock River Coyote upper and be just fine with it.

Any thoughts about LMT. Lewis Machine & Tool?


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I forgot about Kinights Armament. If you can find one, they are a spendy weapon.

Cool factor, plus 10, if you have one.

Thanks for your insight.

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I found a Seekins NX15 that was priced to move, and bought it.

I was familiar with Seekins, for hunting bolt guns, but had zero idea if they made a solid AR.

The reviews were decent on-line, but knowing reviews are mostly subjective, and at times slanted to favor a specific manufacturer. I didn’t really know if the NX15 is considered a good AR.

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Seekins stuff if very very good; Knights & LMT are top of the line, fit for duty, civilian AR's....................no one would go wrong with any of those; ditto for Colt & FN.

Knights makes a LPR version too, which has an 18" slightly heavier profile, Krieger SS barrel if that spins your prop, too.

Knight's & LMT also hold price extremely well too.

Radian also is top shelf...........if they ever start delivering again & along the lines of Colt, SOLGW make a great gun as well.

MM

How about a Geissele version don't have one but almost. Bought an Armalite instead at a good price.

https://geissele.com/duty-rifle-16-5-56-black.html

I don't have a Gieselle upper nor a complete rifle either, so can't speak to the quality of either, but this is a well known poster on SH that doesn't speak too highly of them.

Geiselle Lack of QC

Which surprises me as I have used a lot of their parts which have been perfect.

MM

A Geissele SD on one of their blem sales is really hard to beat.

We've got several and when my son built his first he went all Geissele and SOLGW.

So uh let’s say you work at the local landfill, ride a bike for your main mode of transportation. What would recommend for an ar15? I usually have $125-$150 per pay check for play money..

Hodge

Have you ever thought about doing a ‘FansOnly’ pay per view site for yourself?

Lol

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Daniel Defense DDM4 V7.

LWRC (PISTON), Noveske, LMT, KAC, Geissele Super Duty, Hodge. SOLGW has some great, hard working stuff out there too, they just haven't been around as long as the others.

This'll probably set some FUDD heads on fire but stuff like Colt, BCM and DD are nothing special, and the QC is batch check, not individual rifles. Not that every manufacturer doesn't have it's duds.

I want a 6920.


I just put...just this very moment...an ALG defense trigger in my MP 15.

It's a bit better than factory...but not much.

LaRue.

There are many of them

Them too, I completely forgot about them. And their CS is awesome. Their one piece mounts are pretty great as well.

And expensive.

No knock against the product.

I have two Rock Rivers, like them a lot!

I think the only difference is the nickel coating on the ALG.

Hahaha!

Seems to be.

I bought three new Colts (6920, Expanse, and an A4) eight or ten years ago, the only ARs I've ever owned. Other than adding conventional non-battery operated scopes to two of them and an aperture rear sight to the one that came without a rear sight (Expanse), they've worked perfectly, unmodified straight out-of-the box. Accurate, too, and they've been fired considerably. Other brands may work as well, but I've had no experience with them.

ALG has (or had) two different triggers. The ACT is better than the QMS.

This one is reputed to be pretty fine...

I’ve owned a bunch of 6920’s. Buy a few at a time when they’re dirt cheap, dump a few when prices go nuts and keep the others for free.
Have 2 now I paid $650 for. Upgraded this one with new rail and trigger. It’s got a B5 SOPMOD stock now.
Other one in the pic is my 6940, it would be my go to shoot my way out of a situation gun if forced to choose.

have had a colt since 91, and have never had an issue with it.

If my bud wouldn't shake loose one of his Barrett REC7's i'd buy Noveske or LWRC.

A few several years old LE 6920's and 2 BCM's. Never had a problem with any of them.

This one stays by the front door. AR-10 308.

Excluding customs and Frankenstein builds, for factory builds I have liked Daniel Defense, Wilson Combat, LaRue, and Rock River. I had an issue with an early version of a DD .308 not cycling correct with a suppressor but a call to their customer service and it was shipped, upgraded, and returned to me in a bit over a week, all on their dime. I was impressed to say the least with DD. The experiences I have had with Wilson Combat has been first class as well. All of their rifles I have been around have been shooters. LaRue makes a solid product.

You guys sure seem to find the good deals.

I looked for one of their complete rifles about a year ago. Unobtanium. Outrageous prices. I don't think that's changed in the last year.

Putting aside whether you can find one, LMT gets a vote.

I'm really not much of an AR-guy, but I have a Noveske Thunder Ranch that is absolutely superb in every possible way.

My Noveske Thunder Ranch is a wonderful rifle and I lust to kill a few coyotes one day when I can beat my nagging (and likely to kill me) health problems.

Meanwhile, I take my Thunder Ranch out to the range once in a while and shoot scary-small groups with the rifle.

Blessings,

Steve

What optics Steve?

Owned an FN15 that seemed a step from a RRA and a leap up from a Ruger and S&W also. Really should have bought a Colt before the world went crazy, but, a particular offer led me to the FN instead. Lots of interesting stuff mentioned here. If'n I had to get one from a box, at a fair price, I might try SOLGW or BCM.

For me, it would have to be the Geissele Super Duty and the Sig MCX Virtus. Can't go wrong with a PWS either. Daniel Defense is a great rifle but the trigger disappoints in the newer models. They went from a Geissele to milspec. I spent all that money and had to spend another $250 to put a Geissele trigger back in it.

Daniel defense makes good rifle

How many pay periods do you have in a year?

Sons of Liberty Gun Works.

While there are lots of good AR's mentioned here, only a few are the "Best".

W/o much doubt, Knight's & LMT are the very top of the heap, now maybe Geiselle has joined their company..............maybe, but not proven over time as with Knight's & LMT.

Behind those are maybe Radian, SOLGW, DD, Noveske, & then, maybe Colt & FN & maybe BCM.

Pretty much everything else, many of which are still very good, still fall below the top tier ones above. Larue is not what it used to be.

YMMV

MM

That sums it up quite well. I believe Geiselle , As you stated given time will be right up with your top two.

Would you detail about specifics that make KAC and LMT stand above the rest? Appreciate it.

Here's one to consider, whatever the F it is... BTW, pricetag said $7999.99.




Also today at Brownells there was an LMT 2000?l (iirc) for $1k.


Added

The FN would be hard to beat if you just want a plain old Milspec Carbine.

If I was buying another “cheap” AR, it would be a PSA.

The best and most accurate AR I’ve ever owned was a Les Baer.

For defending your life, your family, your Constitution, and your country you owe it to yourself to get a quality rifle. It is your responsibility. Get something tried and true that has been put through its paces by hard-use end-users. Get something from the likes of Colt, Daniel Defense, BCM, LaRue, or Noveske. You don't have to pony up for the Gucci rifles like KAC or Hodge, but they are nice if you can afford them. A good quality white light and red dot or LPVO should be added as well. Good luck!

I purchased my first ar this spring. Psa blem. (Can’t find the “blem) put a vx3 hd 1.5x5 on it and it’ll shoot 1.5” groups all day, and functions perfectly. It’ll likely get a new trigger at some point but for 5 bills I’m pleased.

KAC is good and LMT MRP with enhanced bolt is good if you like the hand guard. The regular M4 type LMT is not in the running.

KAC has a special bolt and barrel extension lockup. They are also gassed right. But they ain’t worth the money they want for them to me.

Proven long term reliability, reliability & reliability................oh, did I mention reliability?

MM

Yah, I gathered that. LOL Was wondering about what makes them that way... Taking a deeper look at their offerings... Interesting, very interesting. Going way beyond mil-spec... Thanks for bringing them up.

DS Arms is a sleeper. Known for their FAL’s, they make a nice AR too.